Making sense of violence: a study of narrative meaning

Dramatized violence has been a feature of entertainment in western civilization throughout history. The function of Žlm violence is explored and compared to violence encountered in real life. The role of narrative in individuals’ meaning-making processes is also investigated. Six adults were individually interviewed using a semi-structured schedule and narrative analysis was implemented. The Žndings revealed that real life violence is experientially distinct from Žlm violence but narrative was found to be central to participants’ quest for the meaning of violence in both contexts. The narrative framework of violence and whether it is justiŽable were fundamental to participants’ understanding. The function of violent Žlm was found to be multifaceted: it can teach viewers about the consequences of violence; it allows them to speculate about their own and others’ reactions to violence; and it provides an opportunity to experience something which is ordinarily outside of our experience in order to satisfy our human existential needs. Qualitative Research in Psychology 2004; 1: 131 /151